The Fine Art of Gadget Shopping at Museum Shops

Technology can be exceptionally beautiful — just take a look at the everyday objects included in the collections of MoMA or the Cooper-Hewitt. Designers from Naoto Fukasawa to Jasper Morrison have elevated things like lamps, clocks, and telephones to a status that comes close to art, except that anyone can buy it in the museum gift shop.

MoMA Design Store: With multiple locations in New York and a MUJI section for lovers of Japanese minimalism, their tech and home decor departments are strong.
• Shown: Natural Cork iPad Case by Michael Andersen, $50
Design Museum Shop: This London museum store stocks objects that are hard to find elsewhere. With most new exhibitions, they release an accompanying collection of distinctive prints, postcards, and objects.
• Shown: Punkt DP 01 Phone by Jasper Morrison, £180
Museum of Contemporary Art Store: This Chicago museum shop is divided into two floors: home decor, tech, and accessories on the first level and books on the second.
• Shown: Balloon Speaker by Yuen'to Design, $48
SF MOMA Museum Store: This venerated modern store has several locations: one at the museum, a separate artist's gallery at the Fort Mason Center, and an outpost at SFO.
• Shown: Cabledrop Clips by BlueLounge, $10
MOCA Store: MOCA has one of the country's most respected permanent collections of contemporary art, and their store is a good resource for graphic laptop bags and tech accessories.
• Shown: Andre 15" Laptop Sleeve, $60
The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt: This small, manageable space on the East Side of Central Park is a must-see for design lovers. They carry a good library of tech by names like Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison.
• Shown: 10 Key Calculator by IDEA, $54
Eames Office: Part library, part museum, and part resource, the Eames Office is a direct retailer of mid-century home office furniture and accessories by the Eameses and their contemporaries.
• Shown: George Nelson Ball Clock, $335
Wexner Center for the Arts: Located in Columbus, Ohio, this contemporary art museum shop is one of the strongest in the Midwest. They carry a mix of gadgets for lifestyle and home.
• Shown: Vers iPhone Shellcase, $35
risd works: A gallery/shop connected to the Rhode Island School of Design, risd works only carries products "designed and made by Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) alumni and faculty."
• Bias Clock by Rich, Brilliant and Willing, $150
Walker Art Center Shop: Minneapolis locals can visit the brick and mortar store nestled in one of the world's finest contemporary art museums, and the rest of us can shop online.
• Shown: Chrome Clocky by Guari Nanda, $69